Native Evangelism in Central Mexico

By Hugo G. Nutini and Jean F. Nutini

Publication Year: 2014

A foundational work by a revered pioneer in the study of native evangelism, this book illuminates the psychological, theological, and pragmatic elements of conversion to two of Mexico’s pivotal Protestant evangelical sects, La Luz del Mundo and Amistad y Vida.

Cover

Title Page, Copyright Page

Contents

Preface

H. Nutini has been acquainted with evangelism since his survey
of the Tlaxcala-Pueblan Valley and the Sierra de Puebla during
the summer of 1958, and his and J. Nutini’s survey of the
Córdoba- Orizaba region in 1969. We did not investigate evangelism...

Acknowledgments

The field research on which this book is based owes its existence
to a series of small grants. From the University of Pittsburgh
we received two grants from the Center of Latin American
Studies, and one from each of the following funding...

Introduction

By “native evangelism” we denote dissent movements turning
away from Catholicism, as well as doctrinal and organizational
dissent from American Protestant evangelist derivations. The
Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Jehovah’s Witnesses...

1. Analytical Framework of the Study

As there are no ethnographies of native evangelist congregations,
the central concern of this book is an ethnographic study
of two congregations belonging to two native evangelists sects:
one established twenty-four years ago and in the process of expansion...

2. The Theology and Teleology of Amistad y Vida (Cristianos)

Amistad y Vida (Cristianos) had its beginning in Mexico City.
It was started in 1982 by the Presbyterian minister Robert
Mayers, with the help of Mr. and Mrs. Pardillo; they formed
the fi rst congregation, which quickly grew to more than two...

3. Cristianos: The Structure and Material Organization of the Congregation

Like its teleology and theology, the formal organization of the
cult of Amistad y Vida is quite streamlined; the most structured
rites and ceremonies take place during the weekly Sunday
services. But there is also a large ritual and ceremonial complex...

4. La Luz del Mundo: Theology, Teleology, and Ideology

La Luz del Mundo (LLDM) was founded in 1926 by Eusebio
Joaquín González in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León. Eusebio
Joaquín was born in Colotlán, Jalisco, and fought in the
early stages of the Revolution of 1910. According to the official...

In this chapter we analyze the organization of the cult of La
Luz del Mundo (LLDM), its ritualism and ceremonialism, the
process of evangelist enculturation, and the life of the congregation
as molded by the beliefs and dogmas of the sect. The...

6. The Process of Conversion: Antecedent Factors and Results

A great deal has been written about Catholics converting to
Protestant evangelism in most Latin American countries: the
early work of Willems (1967), Lalive D’Spinay (1969), Boff
(1982), and Bastián (1983); the more recent work of Annis...

Conclusions

This book has presented a description and analysis of two native
evangelist sects in central Mexico. It discusses the organization
of the congregations, their methods and techniques
of proselytism, doctrinal beliefs and worldview, theological and...

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